Phase+1+—+Community+Selection

Selecting a community proved to be a challenge as I am not currently student teaching. But after reflecting on the class discussions, I found myself curious about the role of Ebonics in young African Americans. My linguistic dimensions study will focus on the Harlem neighborhood the zip code of 10030. This community is defined by the southern boundary of 132nd street and 145th street to the north. The eastern boundary is Malcom X Boulevard/Esplanade Gardens Plaza, while Saint Nicholas Terrace serves as the western border. While I selected the community at random, 82.9 percent is African American, according to U.S. Census data from 2000.

In selecting this Harlem community, I hope to learn more about Ebonics and other variants of Black English in contemporary society. I intend rely on data collected form MySpace pages, information from local churches and schools, community newspapers, the local community board, census data, academic articles, music and first-hand observations of the community. These data sources may be updated throughout the study as my research develops.

I want to gain an understanding of how black teens speak. Is it a form of Ebonics or is it just another version of modern teen language that relies heavily on textspeak and slang?